Little Joey

“One faces the future with one’s past.”

Pearl s. buck

I’m Little Joey.

I live in an old man’s body. He’s now called Joe.

Joe doesn’t like it, but often I determine what he says and how he says it. I sometimes guide how he reacts to others and how he acts and behaves. And, I am really good at twisting up his thought process—especially in relationships with others.

Sometimes Joe listens, but he doesn’t always hear. I do that for him.

Sometimes Joe pretends to hear, but that’s me making him do that.

I like to get my feelings hurt easily from what others say or do. Joe doesn’t, so I often override him on that one.

I like to get inside Joe’s head and distort his thinking in situations. 

Often, when that happens, I get to bring out the big guns—sarcasm, anger, thinly veiled cutting remarks—you know, the good stuff that hurts relationships.

Sometimes Joe catches on, but mostly not. By then the damage is done because he’s shot off his mouth.

Even when he does catch on, I like to let it linger in his head and fester, so he can masturbate his hurt and anger at others, and milk it for sympathy for all it’s worth. Grudges are my best friend. Forgiveness–who needs that?

So, that’s my job. I keep Joe from really growing up. I stand in the way of his being all that God wants him to be. I tell you, I’m really good at it too.

As long as I am successful in doing that, he will never have fully open, honest relationships with anyone because he will never be able to learn to communicate as Christ would have him do–fully out of love.

Does this resonate with anybody?